2 killed, pharmacist shot, cop stabbed in violent night in Philly

by By Emily Babay, Philly.com staff, Posted: April 30, 2013

Lawrence Street as seen from Pine Street near 4th Street in the Society Hill section of Philadelphia. This was the scene of a Monday night shooting that sent one man to the hospital after an alleged attempted robbery. (Alejandro A. Alvarez / Staff Photographer)

Two men were killed, a pharmacist was shot and an off-duty police officer was stabbed in a violent night in Philadelphia.

All four violent episodes occurred within the span of a little more than an hour.

The first incident occurred shortly before 10 p.m. Monday in Society Hill, when a man was critically wounded when he was shot during a possible robbery on Lawrence Street near Pine Street. Area residents described the man as a pharmacist at a nearby CVS.

In the second incident, also around 10 p.m., an off-duty Philadelphia police officer was stabbed during a robbery in Northeast Philadelphia. The attack happened when the officer was approached by two men on Grant Avenue near the Torresdale train station.

"He was just out for a jog," Chief Inspector Small told reporters. "He lives in the area."

The officer, who was in stable condition Monday night, was struck in the head and stabbed. The assailants took cash and his iPod, Small said.

In a late-night homicide, a 29-year-old man was fatally shot during what police believe was an attempted robbery in the Mayfair neighborhood.

Officers were called to the 5700 block of Leonard Street for a report of a person with a gun at about 10 p.m., said Officer Christine O'Brien, a Philadelphia police spokeswoman.

When police arrived, they found Lamar Muldrow suffering from gunshot wounds to his chest and hip, she said. He was transported to Temple University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 10:48 p.m.

Police say robbery is believed to have been the motive in the slaying, thought it wasn't immediately clear if anything was taken.

Earlier news reports indicated that the shooting happened as armed men tried to force their way into a home, though O'Brien said the slaying happened on the street. Police at the scene told reporters that the man was shot as he tried to help his wife close the door and run upstairs.

Then, shortly after 11 p.m., police shot and killed a 33-year-old man who cut his girlfriend's face and lunged at an officer with a knife. The incident happened at about 11 p.m. Monday on the 300 block of West Courtland Street in the Feltonville section.

Officers responded to that block after reports of screams and someone with a weapon, said Lt. John Stanford, a police spokesman.

When they arrived, a man was stranding over a woman in the street, with a 16-inch knife at her neck, he said.

The officers repeatedly ordered the man to drop the knife. The man instead moved toward the officers, weapon in hand, Stanford said.

One officer fired his weapon, striking the man. He was pronounced dead at 11:22 p.m.

Stanford said police are still investigating what sparked the initial incident and how the man and woman knew each other. The woman suffered a laceration to her face, but was not hospitalized.

Authorities have not released the man's name, but Stanford said he had multiple prior arrests for narcotics, assault and robbery.

Police did not identify the officer who fired his gun. Stanford said the officer has been placed on desk duty pending an internal affairs investigation.